Monday, August 30, 2010

On Aug. 11, the federal government announced its intention to, in Industry Minister Tony Clements' words, "introduce legislation this fall to remove threats of jail time for persons refusing to fill out the (2011) census and all mandatory surveys administered by the federal government."

This seemed pretty innocuous and something I personally applauded. I don't know about you, but threats aren't the greatest way to get me to do something.
But, since then, there have been more than 8,000 news stories on the census -- way more articles and commentaries than on our health-care system (just more than 1,000) and only a smidgen fewer than articles and commentaries on the economy. Come on, people, where are your priorities?

(...)

When the head of one of our human rights commissions (in this case, Barbara Hall of the Ontario commission) comes out in support of the census, I have a natural tendency to run for the hills. I never really thought of the census or the controversy surrounding it until Hall said she supported it. For those familiar with Hall's tendency to favour limits on personal freedom in the name of personal rights, it should surprise no one that coercion would be fine with her.